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Dorado review on Pinktrike

Delimeat

Delimeat

Monkey
Feb 3, 2009
195
0
Canada
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Manitou-Dorado--Review-2009.html

Interesting read, especially considering there really hasn't been much info about them besides previews and the odd blurb.

There is a load of photo's of the internals for some of you to geek out over. Someone should explain where and what is happening in there, I'm picturing some enterprising member using photoshop to show where the oil is going/coming to and from:confused:

Looking at the photo's makes me think that the Dorado is a 'twin tube' design similar but different to the CCDB?
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,061
5,970
borcester rhymes
That's cool. I'm excited for the alloy version. Should be a competitor to the rest of what's out there. The carbon is great, but just too expensive to really compete.

I will say one thing for sure, those forks are friggin beautiful. All gold and thick and blingy. Way better looking than a foxxor or boxxer.
 
Delimeat

Delimeat

Monkey
Feb 3, 2009
195
0
Canada
I wonder what, if any, impact on ride quality there will be when aluminum is used for the legs instead of carbon? The aluminum version sounds like it just makes so much sense.
 
yuroshek

yuroshek

Turbo Monkey
Jun 26, 2007
2,438
0
Arizona!
Delimeat said:
I wonder what, if any, impact on ride quality there will be when aluminum is used for the legs instead of carbon? The aluminum version sounds like it just makes so much sense.
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The carbon helps elminate small vibrations that you get on small bump chatter.
 
M

mitcht

Chimp
Jul 9, 2008
11
0
Interesting review...

Is it just me or does the entire article seem to be trying to convince you to buy one? It's written as if the author knows no one will like it, so he's taken a very defensive writing style. Anyone else??

As for the Dorado, I'm not a fan, iIve seen way too many of them have major problems out on the race track. I'll stick with my 40 :)
 
Dox

Dox

Monkey
Aug 26, 2009
263
0
Montreal, QC, Canada
mitcht said:
Interesting review...

Is it just me or does the entire article seem to be trying to convince you to buy one? It's written as if the author knows no one will like it, so he's taken a very defensive writing style. Anyone else??
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Yeah Pinkbike is not reviewing anything they just post ads with a lot of description.
 
Hesh To Steel

Hesh To Steel

Monkey
Dec 12, 2007
661
1
Hell's Kitchen
As for the Dorado, I'm not a fan, I've seen way too many of them have major problems out on the race track. I'll stick with my 40
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You've seen a lot of the 09's have "major problems"? Or are you talking about the old Dorado? I don't think there are very many 09 dorados out there.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,061
5,970
borcester rhymes
You know, they really don't review anything on there. Everything I read says "Thanks [My Sponsor] this product is super awesome and totally shreds the gnar. I can't wait to ride it!" ...what the hell?

I know that the only way to continue getting free stuff is to give it good reviews, but surely ONE or two things out there must suck.
 
bizutch

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Sandwich said:
You know, they really don't review anything on there. Everything I read says "Thanks [My Sponsor] this product is super awesome and totally shreds the gnar. I can't wait to ride it!" ...what the hell?

I know that the only way to continue getting free stuff is to give it good reviews, but surely ONE or two things out there must suck.
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Nah...Bullit Brothers is out of business now. Nothing breaks and we live in a perfect world with hover chairs and guns that shoot gum drops.
 
S

Steve M

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2007
1,991
45
Whistler
Come on, it's THE most expensive fork on the market by a good margin - Manitou have obviously pulled out all the stops, would anyone find it that hard to believe that it actually IS a damn good fork? Sure the review didn't spend a lot of time going into the details of the few negatives they did note, and they did plug the selling points quite a bit, but they did give a lot of info about how it felt when riding. They also mentioned issues like it getting sticky after not being used for a while, I didn't get the impression they were hiding anything. I thought it was pretty good overall. I'd really like to ride one, even though the insane price tag means I'll never own one.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,061
5,970
borcester rhymes
My comments aren't directed at the durdado review in particular, just the overall "lovey-dovey" ness that stinkbike usually gives off.

I know straitline makes good parts, I know twenny6 is cool looking. Did either creak? Were they comfortable? Any noticeable flex? "Nah bro, they're cool looking though".

The furtado review is much less worse, but i still like to see comparative evidence, such as "smoother than a boxxer" "packs up less" or "more supple initially, but ramps up hard". Things like that help me decide. I'm sure the fork is great, and the alloy version is on my dream bike list.
 
Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,741
473
Really wish it had a coil spring option. Not real thrilled about the air spring.
 
FCLinder

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
Putting the cost to the side. Having owned a 2009 Dorado, I still think it’s the best fork I have ever raced on by a long shot!!!! "No BSing, just because I was Sponsored by them." It will give you more confidence on your bike in any situation. Made me feel like I was on my 2003 CR 250 again. When I am able to get another DH bike to ride, it will be my first and only choice to have…..

More pics here:
http://www.sicklines.com/2009/03/19/2wheel-freaks-team/

http://2wheelfreaks.ning.com/page/team-blog

Cecil:thumb:
 
FCLinder

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
Hacktastic said:
Really wish it had a coil spring option. Not real thrilled about the air spring.
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The air sprong was one of the best things about it. You could set up your fork for what ever riding style you needed. Meaning different race courses. It felt better than any coil spring fork out there. Manitou did a great job making that happen. If someone could make a DH rear air shock that felt as good. Well I am sure it would also cost an arm and a leg too. The Dorado is the fork match to the Cane Creek DB.
 
G

General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
FCLinder said:
Yes he did because it is true. Think of Carbon Bars. Not just light, but helps with vibration too. Same applies in the construction of a fork.

Feel free to Google “carbon fiber reduces vibration”
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and shaving you're balls will make you jump higher because technically you weigh less. i seriousl doubt you can feel any measurable difference. I had a dorado in part of '03-'04 felt the same all the non-carbon forks i've ridden.

carbon fork on a road bike, sure. carbon legs on a dh bike with 2.5" squishy tires, huge aluminum fork clamps, and oversized dh handlebars. . . . leave that to the marketing department.;)

not bashing the fork, but lets be realistic shall we. manitou used carbon on the original dorado because it followed after the x-vert carbon fork, back when carbon anything got mtb'ers all hot and bothered. but it doesn;t get so many oohs and ahhs 10 years later
 
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Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,741
473
Air springs + steep trails = suck. They can be set up smooth for sure, no denying it. Just not optimum for widely varying front end loads though.
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,961
9,630
AK
Sandwich said:
The furtado review is much less worse, but i still like to see comparative evidence, such as "smoother than a boxxer" "packs up less" or "more supple initially, but ramps up hard". Things like that help me decide. I'm sure the fork is great, and the alloy version is on my dream bike list.
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Exactly, it always seems like people are afraid to make comparissions in reviews, but that's exactly the kind of information that we need.
 
S

Steve M

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2007
1,991
45
Whistler
FCLinder said:
Yes he did because it is true. Think of Carbon Bars. Not just light, but helps with vibration too. Same applies in the construction of a fork.

Feel free to Google “carbon fiber reduces vibration”
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Do your carbon bars or carbon road bike frame have 8" of low-friction, well-damped travel? Didn't think so. Are you also aware that carbon structures can be built WAY stiffer than the aluminium equivalents if the designer so desires? The whole reason CF bars/frames "reduce vibration" is because they can be designed to flex more in the desired plane without breaking, it's not an inherent quality of CF. If you were talking about vibrations at like 1000Hz then maybe what you're saying would have SOME relevance, but we're not.

Besides that, that's like people saying they can "feel" the difference between a steel frame and an alloy one on a DH bike with 8-10" of travel. Just utterly insignificant and completely irrelevant compared to every other factor someone could possibly worry about instead. Whether your tyres are at 25psi or 25.5psi would make more of a difference.
 
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Udi

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,915
1,200
Hacktastic said:
Air springs + steep trails = suck.
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After a day doing runs at the champery world cup track on an air boxxer (along with a few other people on the same fork) I have to say it was just fine thanks. It was an advantage if anything because we were able to run slightly higher pressure than usual to compensate for the ridiculously steep track.

You can't make such an adjustment on a coil fork short of going up or down a springrate (too much hassle + not nearly as fine an adjustment), and it's not all to do with compression damping because the frontend is constantly weighted more, rather than it being a situational change (eg. corner / g-out).

Obviously the coil spring is more linear so you don't have that slight midstroke regression in rate to deal with, but personally I've found the adjustability benefit to outweigh that niggle in real life, at least on steep tracks.
 
ianjenn

ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
3,001
704
SLO
Jm_ said:
Exactly, it always seems like people are afraid to make comparissions in reviews, but that's exactly the kind of information that we need.
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Its still based on opinion but a large rider group of say 10 riding same set-ups aside from fork being timed. Well the results would speak for themselves!
 
yuroshek

yuroshek

Turbo Monkey
Jun 26, 2007
2,438
0
Arizona!
wow i love the interweb...

why are you guys on here talkin crap about a fork you have never ridin?

i will have a spair "race bike" with a alum. dorado on it for 2010. i want all you haters to come out to the races and test this thing for FREE.

i let 1 guy test ride my bike and he was sold on the very first run on the bike. he couldnt believe how well it tracked and worked overall. but than again he isnt an internet hater like everyone else.

i see the same people over and over just hatin on everything. you people need help, soooooo negitive about everything. dont be so thick headed because giants HA angle is 65.5 and if the dorado is THE best fork out there right now.


how many of you guys on here have even put a leg over a bike with a dorado on it?? anyone?? until you have ridin it, dont hate.

oh and by the way, what did you guys do today besides talk crap on an internet forum? did you guys even ride?

Dennis.
 
Jm_

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,961
9,630
AK
yuroshek said:
wow i love the interweb...

why are you guys on here talkin crap about a fork you have never ridin?

i will have a spair "race bike" with a alum. dorado on it for 2010. i want all you haters to come out to the races and test this thing for FREE.

i let 1 guy test ride my bike and he was sold on the very first run on the bike. he couldnt believe how well it tracked and worked overall. but than again he isnt an internet hater like everyone else.

i see the same people over and over just hatin on everything. you people need help, soooooo negitive about everything. dont be so thick headed because giants HA angle is 65.5 and if the dorado is THE best fork out there right now.


how many of you guys on here have even put a leg over a bike with a dorado on it?? anyone?? until you have ridin it, dont hate.

oh and by the way, what did you guys do today besides talk crap on an internet forum? did you guys even ride?

Dennis.
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I just got back from a ride. I was commenting on the rampant lack of comparissions in MTB reviews ("it pedals great!", better than what?), but;

I am watching the dorado with some interest. I've seen and handled some of the early (new generation) ones, and it seems like they're actually using current-technology internals, like RS with their new high/low compression. The price is a huge downer, so the aluminum one sounds interesting. I just pray that the rest of the fork has recieved the same thought. In the past it wasn't that TPC+ sucked, it was that the seal and lubrication system was a joke. Everything so far looks pretty good and hopefully they'll work well. I can't think of anywhere in DH where I'd want an air-spring curve though. As far as bottom-out or ramp-up, that can be acheived with hydraulics and doesn't have to mean the flat middle-travel rate.
 
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Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,741
473
yuroshek said:
wow i love the interweb...

why are you guys on here talkin crap about a fork you have never ridin?

i will have a spair "race bike" with a alum. dorado on it for 2010. i want all you haters to come out to the races and test this thing for FREE.

i let 1 guy test ride my bike and he was sold on the very first run on the bike. he couldnt believe how well it tracked and worked overall. but than again he isnt an internet hater like everyone else.

i see the same people over and over just hatin on everything. you people need help, soooooo negitive about everything. dont be so thick headed because giants HA angle is 65.5 and if the dorado is THE best fork out there right now.


how many of you guys on here have even put a leg over a bike with a dorado on it?? anyone?? until you have ridin it, dont hate.

oh and by the way, what did you guys do today besides talk crap on an internet forum? did you guys even ride?

Dennis.
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You should get in contact with Maury Povich. He hosts a fantastic show where people go on rants about 'haters' and 'hatin'. I'm sure he'd love to have you on. You could go on like this for a full hour with obese inner-city baby-mommas.

Also, don't tell us it's "the best fork out there right now" over and over again. I have yet to see any except on a team riders bike at a race. It's not the best just because you say it is. Actual consumer experiences will speak for themselves.

If you must know, I rode ~30 miles of singletrack descending and pretty much perpetual cornering today. I've earned my crap-talking turns for the day.
 
yuroshek

yuroshek

Turbo Monkey
Jun 26, 2007
2,438
0
Arizona!
Hacktastic said:
You should get in contact with Maury Povich. He hosts a fantastic show where people go on rants about 'haters' and 'hatin'. I'm sure he'd love to have you on. You could go on like this for a full hour with obese inner-city baby-mommas.

Also, don't tell us it's "the best fork out there right now" over and over again. I have yet to see any except on a team riders bike at a race. It's not the best just because you say it is. Actual consumer experiences will speak for themselves.

If you must know, I rode ~30 miles of singletrack descending and pretty much perpetual cornering today. I've earned my crap-talking turns for the day.
Click to expand...
like i said, i will have a giant glory with an alum dorado for you to try, for free. that is if you are ok with riding a bike with a 65.5 HA...
 
Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,741
473
Sure, I'll ride one. Everyone here would like to ride one, seeing as how it's the "best fork ever" that nobody seems to have yet...

I don't know if a bike with that head angle will work on the west coast though....we only have fast open non-technical trails. Nope. No rocks or turns or trees. Nothing steep. Just dodging mountain lions and wildfires. Those are our only obstacles. Need mega slack for those.
 
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